Getting a new portable fuel tank.

   / Getting a new portable fuel tank. #32  
When storing anything that could burn down my shop, i decided on not building my own, and didnt want one that rusts. This seamed like a great deal. When i got mine it was around $650.
 
   / Getting a new portable fuel tank.
  • Thread Starter
#33  
When storing anything that could burn down my shop, i decided on not building my own, and didnt want one that rusts. This seamed like a great deal. When i got mine it was around $650.
That was my thoughts as well. My fuel trailer will be outside under the 30'X40' carport with the trailers and such. Any spill would be on the ground, less grass to mow.
 
   / Getting a new portable fuel tank. #34  
I currently have a 5 gallon square plastic diesel jug that empties in about one minute or less (no gurgling). The top is spring-loaded such that when I flip the jug onto my fuel filler, gravity opens the flow and I just stand there while it empties into the tank. I can't find these online so I suspect they're not made any more, but it works great. I had two, but one got loose in the back of my truck and a corner got cracked (quite the mess).

For people stuck with the 5 gallon can, I got two of these and they're fantastic (they're sold on Amazon too but on their website they're cheaper especially if you buy 2 or 4; I have no connection with the seller other than having bought two cans from them) - they open & close very easily and positively and it's very simple to put a spout on them.

They came with high-flow spouts which are most likely not CARB approved (and other sellers sell them separately), but they shipped them to me in CA anyways. When I asked them why they didn't ship the CARB approved spouts, they told me that they supply the CHP (CA Highway Patrol) and the CHP won't accept the CARB spouts...

I bought an old 60 gallon aluminum tank (yet to be cleaned and mounted). I'm hoping eventually to get to this task and put it on a pallet and fork it on top of my container; hopefully that's enough of a gravity drop and not too far for the hose & spout I bought from TSC, or I'll have to build a shorter support.

I haven't set it up yet mostly because my tractor fuel tank is at waist level on the side, so refilling with a can is easy, and with 3x5 gallons reserve and a ~9.5 gallon tank I typically don't come near completely running out of fuel before I remember to refill a couple cans, but I'd feel a lot better if I did have a bigger reserve, especially with my truck that can use it if necessary.
 
   / Getting a new portable fuel tank. #35  
$85 a piece !! You gotta be kidding. Fancy surplus jerry cans.
 
   / Getting a new portable fuel tank. #36  
$85 a piece !! You gotta be kidding. Fancy surplus jerry cans.
Plastic crap cans cost $25-$35 and make a mess everywhere. I haven't had any last more than 5-6 years and I'm easy on them; I wanted cans that can take a beating in the back of my truck and last forever without making a mess when I use them. Older jerry cans I've had before with the threaded spouts were a perennial mess to use.
 
   / Getting a new portable fuel tank. #37  
I'm still old fashioned, I guess. My 170 gallon tank on a stand was supplied by my fuel delivery company back in 1986 free of charge. The diesel fuel flows by gravity through the 10 foot hose to the shutoff handle,
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even to one of my tractors that has the fuel cap about 6 foot off the ground on an auxiliary tank behind the seat. No power, no pumps to crank, no solar batteries. The premium off road diesel is always cheaper than at a gas station which charges road tax. I don't have to spend any time loading a portable tank into a truck and running to a gas station at least 10 miles away. No worry about being in a wreck with a tank of extra diesel fuel on board. A phone call always gets it delivered the same week I call. Never had a problem with summer blend going into winter or winter blend going into summer.
Times have changed and I doubt if you will find a supplier that will give you a free tank but the gravity tanks are still probably a lot cheaper than ones with pumps.
Just something to consider when your thinking of how to get fuel.
 
   / Getting a new portable fuel tank. #38  
Made a "pallet" for a 50 gal tank, power it from the tractors.


Looks good but I think galvanized steel is not recommended for Diesel fuel piping or storage tanks.
 
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   / Getting a new portable fuel tank. #39  
The regs for above ground storage here, as were above an aquifer, require a catch basin. Strict regs. No one will fill it without certification. WAY WAY more expensive than transfer tank.
i stopped installing diesel generators due to strict DEQ requirements for fuel containment. The system doubled the cost of the generator.
 
   / Getting a new portable fuel tank. #40  
The regs for above ground storage here, as were above an aquifer, require a catch basin. Strict regs. No one will fill it without certification. WAY WAY more expensive than transfer tank.
i stopped installing diesel generators due to strict DEQ requirements for fuel containment. The system doubled the cost of the generator.
I was about to purchase a drum containment pallet before getting the idea to look for a truck tank.

My Freightliner tank says it's certified for over the road service. It would be hard to argue it needs a containment platform.
 
 
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